The Holsworthy Benefice Magazine January 2020
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The Holsworthy Benefice Magazine January 2020 For the Parishes of the United Benefice of Holsworthy, Bridgerule, Hollacombe, Pyworthy with Pancrasweek www.holsworthybenefice.org.uk Your Free Copy – But a Donation of £1 in the Church wall safe would be much appreciated. 1
Church Contacts Priest-in-Charge: Mother Elizabeth Burke The Rectory, Bodmin Street, Holsworthy, EX22 6BH 01409 255490 or 07990 978485 elizabethmaburke*icloud.com Reader: Mrs Mary Aicheler 01409 259271 Benefice Administrator: Pewsheet Administrator: St. Peter & St. Paul, Holsworthy: Church Wardens: Mrs Mary Osborne 01409 253115 bettinemary*gmail.com Mr Robert Beckford 01409 254804 robertbeckford31*gmail.com Bell Captain: Mr Ralph Chapman 01409 253040 St. Bridget, Bridgerule: Churchwardens: Mr T. Bowden 01288 381247 Mr P. Harris 01288 381329 St. Petroc, Hollacombe: Churchwarden: Mrs Teresa Davy 01409 281235 Mr Paul Dymond 01288 381309 St. Swithun, Pyworthy: Churchwarden: Vacancy St. Pancras, Pancrasweek: Churchwardens: Robert Wright 01409 253300 Roger Vanstone 01409 240165 Parish Magazine Editorial Team Leader Mary Beckford 01409 254804 marybeckford31*gmail.com Webmaster Bob Beckford 01409 254804 robertbeckford31*gmail.com 2
Contents Church Contacts 2 Contents 3 From The Rectory 4 News From The Churches In Our Benefice 6 Jackpot Draw Result 9 Holsworthy Methodist Church Thursday Group Programme 9 God in the Arts 12 Service Chart for January 2020 14 General News from the Parish Pump 16 St. James-the-Least-of All 19 Cartoons and Smile Line 22 The January Puzzle Pages 23 All in the Month of January 24 High Days and Holy Days in January 25 Some Useful Numbers 27 Puzzle Solutions 28 If you have anything you would like to be considered for publication in our magazine please give it to the editor by the 20th of the preceding month. It can be sent by email or hand written. Our printer in Bude can usually reproduce photographs to a reasonable standard. If you want any hard copy or pictures returned please ensure your name and address is on the back. This magazine is produced for the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul Holsworthy; St. Bridget’s, Bridgerule; St. Petroc, Hollacombe; St. Swithun, Pyworthy; St. Pancras, Pancrasweek; and is the only publication promoting the views and vision of the benefice. The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the individual PCC’s but are those of individual contributors. Supporting our Advertisers The advertisers in this magazine cover the cost of production so that we are able to distribute it free of charge. Whilst pleased to welcome advertisements, the PCC’s of the United Churches of the Holsworthy Benefice cannot offer endorsement of any specific advertiser or event. …but if you respond to one of our advertisers please tell them you saw their advert in our Benefice Magazine. 3
Not from the rectory May I wish you a good new year and ask are you having a good Christmas? For yes we are still in the Christmas season, the world may have moved on and adverts on the TV changed to sales or holidays but as the church we still celebrate the birth of Christ and on January 1st his naming and circumcision in the temple and on the 6th or Sunday the 7th we will celebrate the coming of the wise men. They were not kings and we do not know how many only that they offered three gifts. They came from to somewhere in the east and as astrologers they were searching the skies and saw a new star which told them of the birth of an important new king in Judea. They thought they should honour his arrival so set out to where they thought he would be born, namely the Jerusalem and the king’s palace. How long the journey took we do not know may be up to two years We too as a nation at this time will be setting out on a new journey leaving the EU and becoming our own nation taking control. That’s the vision but in fact is taking us into unknown territory and might not lead to where we thought we were going as that is what happened to the wise men. When they got to Herod’s palace there was no baby! Herod worried about what he had heard asked the priests if they knew, they searched through the scriptures. It was true a baby who would be a king would be born but in Bethlehem. Herod saw this as a threat but played it cool and sent the wise men off to find him. We too through the election have sent the government off to find the best way forward, a deal that will, we hope be both good for us and for the rest of the EU for after all they are still our friends. The wise men found baby Jesus, gave him gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh. Then being warned went home another way. Herod was up to no good and God needed time to protect his son, if sadly not all the baby boys two years or under in Bethlehem. How many of them were killed we do not know. If only the wise men had not presumed the birth would be in Jerusalem their lives might have been saved. 4
The government too will need guidance as they move forward on our behalf and as Christians we have an important part to play in that process we need to pray daily for our Government and Parliament including our Bishops in the house of Lords and those in power in the EU that the right solution will be made for all, Though I am sure there will be casualties on the way and we as a church need to be there to comfort and support them. 2020 will be a very different year than many we have seen in the past, therefore make it your resolution that it will be one of prayer and worship of care and love. Yours. Mary your reader. January 2020 Magazine We are sorry if this magazine reaches you a little later than usual. The press date of the 20th of the month clashed with the Christmas festivities and with printer taking a well-deserved break for Christmas the delay was inevitable. Hopefully the February edition will be back on time. The editorial team would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year. 5
News from the Churches in our Benefice St. Peter and St. Paul, Holsworthy By Bob Beckford Photo to the right is by Rodney Parish Ó Fund Raising If you attend Holsworthy Parish Church you will have seen on the Sunday pew sheet and also probably received a letter from Mother Elizabeth concerning the shortfall we have at present for our share towards the Common Fund. At the time of writing we are still short of something approaching £3500. Anything you can do to reduce this shortfall will be very much appreciated. Unfortunately, with such a large church to run, our overheads are very large, just heating the church for Sunday and special occasion services costs us in the region of £1500 to £2000 a year for heating oil. To heat the church for a Sunday morning service costs somewhere around £50 to £70 a time depending on the outside temperature. We are very fortunate that we have some volunteers who help with the church maintenance, here is an example of something we recently did in preparation for the Advent and Christmas festivities. The church had become rather dim inside due to electric lamp failures. We therefore replaced 5 electric lamps in the nave and side aisles at a cost of nearly £50 for the lamps. We probably saved £400 by doing the job ourselves using ladders. I am told that some electrical contractors would not even entertain doing the job unless they had the use of a cherry picker (hydraulic hoist) and for that you can add another £400 for hiring the cherry picker. We are so lucky to have our regular volunteers who help with the cleaning of the church, we also have our team of volunteers who help to keep the outside of the church free of ivy and make sure the gutters, rainwater pipes and drains are clear. Without that voluntary help our bills would be even greater. So thank you to everyone who helps. Please keep supporting any fund raising activity arranged by the PCC or the Friends of Holswothy Church, it is important that we do raise this money. It is also probably a good time to thank the little team that help the churchwardens with opening and closing the church. The visitor’s book frequently has comments saying how much the church being open is appreciated. 6
Christmas Lights Switch On - Hamper and The Bear Naming Competition. Thank you for the donations of gifts for the Christmas hampers. We were in the square for the Christmas lights switch on selling tickets for the hamper and the teddy naming competition, we even sold a couple of lottery tickets so being out there in the cold proved to be worthwhile. Christmas Carols in The Holsworthy Pubs December 13th On a very wet and windy Friday evening fourteen of us met in the White Hart for our first session of carol singing. Joined by customers in the hotel bar we made a splendid sound and our 30 minute slot was soon over. From there we made our way to the Corner Café where we entertained those using the café and those in the queue waiting for their fish and chips. Our reward for singing here was a supply of lovely freshly fried chips, courtesy of Nick Cousins. From here we moved on to the New Market Inn for another 30 minutes of singing and then it was to the Kings Arms for another sing along. Finally it was back to the Corner Café again for tea, coffee and mince pies, courtesy of Nick for which we were very grateful. Our intention was to raise the church profile out in the community whilst at the same time using the opportunity to raise funds for the church. Sadly there were not the numbers in the pubs that we had anticipated, the weather that night was so foul we were not altogether that surprised, we still managed to collect £46.04 for which we are grateful. Holsworthy Church Volunteers We hope you enjoy the refreshments after the Sunday morning service. Are you able to help with this? The church is dusted and vacuumed each week and the more people we have on the rota the less frequently your turn will come around. All cleaning equipment and materials provided. This tends to be done in pairs. If you can help with either of these please speak to Sue Bumby. Burn’s Supper 24th January - In the Memorial Hall. Last year’s event was so successful the decision has been made to do it again. Burns night comes at that time of year when things seem a bit flat so why not get a group of friends together and book a table. Please see posters or the website for more information. Tickets available from Thomas Westcott, White Hart Hotel and members of Holsworthy PCC. 7
The Sunday Night Club NEW for youth 13+ year olds. 1st and 3rd Sundays 6-8pm has started and is going well. If you know of anyone in that age range who might be interested, please speak to Mother Elizabeth or Ruth Jones (Ecumenical Youth Worker) St. Petroc, Hollacombe by Margaret Stacey THE ‘OLD’ YEAR..........2019 Whilst we think of December as the end of the year, it is of course the beginning of the church’s new year which we celebrated at Evensong on December 1st, lighting the first Advent Candle on the first day of Advent and our rich purple colours. It always seems a short season to be in the purple colours but actually combined with Lent, is almost a quarter of the year. Despite a couple of initial setbacks we were delighted to welcome a full church for our annual Traditional Lessons & Carols on 27th December. For some people it was their first time at Hollacombe Church. We were rewarded with a full church taking every chair so were especially pleased to see the ‘new’ chairs used to capacity kindly donated by The Bevan Family (Tom & Gemma, nee Isaac). Everyone commented on the lovely atmosphere and after the service enjoyed the refreshments and time to catch up with friends. One ‘new comer’ even remarked on a plaque erected on the south wall by Miss Florence Mason, former churchwarden in memory of her parents, many many years ago. It is good the church has been kept up & going by generations past for us to be able to enjoy & worship in today. One of our attendees on this occasion was married in the church over 60years ago. We also welcomed 2 very young people, just tots. Lovely to see them & they behaved impeccably, not a squeak. Hollacombe Church would like to a Thank ALL who read, gave their time & offerings and contributions to make this a memorable occasion. THE ‘NEW’ YEAR..........2020 Services commence (weather permitting, please check with the web site or churchwardens IF the conditions suggest otherwise) Sunday 5th January 3pm Evensong Sunday 19th January 9.30am Holy communion Sunday 2nd February 3pm Evensong. All services are from Book of Common Prayer. We wish EVERYONE a Happy and Peaceful 2020 8
Across all the churches in the benefice Thank you to everyone who helped in any way to make the churches look so special for Christmas, to everyone that helped with the singing, the catering and the cleaning. The hard work does get noticed and is appreciated. Thank you. The Friend’s of Holsworthy Parish Church St Peter’s Monthly Jackpot Draw The winners of the Draw, drawn on 20th December were – 1st Prize, £27.50 – ticket number 108, Michael from Derriton Road 2nd Prize, £5.50 – ticket number 81, Sean from Pins Park You can still purchase a ticket and join in for the next 3 months, price of the ticket to be included in the January draw is £3. Please speak to Helen Narborough our treasurer or a member of the PCC if you would like to purchase a ticket. Holsworthy Methodist Church Thursday Group Programme 2019/2020 2020 Jan 2nd “FORMATION OF HOLSWORTHY TRAVEL” Ron Gerry Jan 16th “THE MAN SHED & YOUTH CENTRE” John Allin Jan 30th “MY JOURNEY TO HERE” Michelle Hogarth Feb 13th “THE CINNAMON TRUST” Tricia Glover Feb 27th “COMING UP FROM DOWN UNDER” Lynda and Cliff Vickery March 12th “OLD LAUNCESTON” Rob Tremain March 26th “THE MARATIME ISLANDS” John & Stella Burnard April 9th “MAUNDY THURDAY COMMUNION” Clive Smale April 23rd “A GAMES EVENING” Sylvia Simpson May 7th “MY VISIT TO JAPAN” Christine Williams May 21st AGM Followed by Hilary Vivian All meetings at 7.30pm unless stated otherwise, for further information please contact Doreen Buckingham (Tel: 253462) 9
BURNS NIGHT 24th January 2020 7pm to Midnight Memorial Hall, Holsworthy, EX22 6DJ TRADITIONAL BURNS SUPPER WITH CEILIDH Piper, Live Band, Toasts & Poetry THREE COURSE MEAL £32 a ticket Individual tickets or tables up to twelve Tickets from; The White Hart Hotel or Thomas Westcott FOR HOLSWORTHY CHURCH FUNDS 10
MEN'S RUGBY RAMBLE Sunday 23rd February 2020 Get the boys onside and sign up for our BRAND NEW EVENT for 2020! This is your chance to make a real difference to support local men who are going through the toughest of times and need the care of North Devon Hospice. Our Men's Rugby Ramble is a 5 mile circular walk from Barnstaple Rugby Club. You will kick off with a delicious hot pasty at the start before walking to our English Rose Bar where you can enjoy a refreshing pint courtesy of St Austell Brewery. Onwards to our Irish Shamrock bar where you will be met with a pint of Guinness before you touchdown at the Rugby Club once more. Back at Club you will finish with another celebratory pint of beer and a choice of hot buffet, including curry, before watching the Six Nations England v Ireland game on the big screen! You will also receive a branded beanie to wear during the walk to show your solidarity for local men being cared for by North Devon Hospice. Sign up today at www.northdevonhospice.org.uk. 11
Contact: garethreesplumbing@gmail.com Office: 01409 259032 GAS/OIL servicing, Landlord certificates, breakdowns & installations …. Gas fires & hobs Legionella Risk assessments Heating controls Plumbing repairs & maintenance Air source heat pumps Power Showers & pumps, Underfloor heating systems installation & repair (water/electric) Specialist taps & filters Bathrooms & wet rooms Plumbing repairs & maintenance Radiators 519381 God in the Arts Editor: The Rev Michael Burgess begins a series on animals and birds as seen in art and scripture… this will run throughout 2020. ‘He gave us eyes to see them’: ‘The Peaceable Kingdom’ by Edward Hicks St Francis’ Canticle of the Sun invites all creatures to praise God the Creator. But we live in a world of climate change and global warming. A thousand species are at risk of extinction in the United Kingdom alone. The richness of creation St Francis knew in his day is no longer. We need to heed the urgent call to care for the biodiversity of our planet and its richness in plant and animal life. This year we shall be looking at animals and birds - their grace and strength, their beauty and wonder - as reflected in art and scripture, and so learn to value the glory of Creation all around us. 12
Isaiah in chapter 11 had a vision of a special child who would bring paradise to the earth once more. He spoke of a world where the wolf would lie down with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid. It is the theme of ‘The Peaceable Kingdom’ by the American Quaker artist, Edward Hicks. This subject occupied all his artistic talent for he painted almost a hundred versions. Sixty still exist and this one is from 1834. The foreground is occupied by not just one child, but several. They are innocent and free, playing with the animals around - lion, tiger, leopard, bear, wolf, cow and lamb. There is no sign of ‘nature red in tooth and claw’ here. All is peace and tranquillity. The bear and cow nudge each other in the bottom corner with no fear. That peaceful co-existence is echoed in the distance with William Penn and other Quakers working on a treaty with the Indians. The animals in the foreground symbolise the human traits we see at work in the background: leadership and power, sensitivity and gentleness. Edward Hicks as he worked on later versions knew that this peace was not a straightforward achievement. Selfishness, pride and greed got in the way. But the vision remained. Follow the inner light of God’s grace, he is saying in his art, and that harmony can be achieved. Cherish the world around and give thanks for its rich variety and colour. Then we can follow Edward Hicks and St Francis in caring for ‘all creatures great and small.’ 13
14 This chart was correct at the time we went to press. Please check on the back of your weekly service sheet for any last- minute changes or take a look at the Benefice Calendar on our www.holsworthybenefice.org.uk/services/benefice-calendar/
ALF BLACKMAN Builder also Carpentry, Plumbing, Decorating & General Repairs Tel: 01409 253158 Mob: 07774 672695 Musicians (and singers) Wanted Second Nature GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FORESTRY AND TREE CARE For Occasional Playing for free at Tree surgery & planting the Sunday Service in Lawn mowing / Grass cutting Holsworthy Church Hedge trimming Grounds Clearance & Maintenance Garden fencing & more COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC ONE OFF JOBS & ONGOING CONTRACTS UNDERTAKEN COMPLETE GROUNDS AND TREE CARE This is your chance to play with a PLEASE CALL FOR A NO OBLIGATION QUOTE OR EMAIL group of musicians. US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 07866468596 / 01837810735 If you are interested please www.secondnature-devon.co.uk contact Mother Elizabeth on enquiries*secondnature-devon.co.uk A local company with professionalism as its 01409 255490 or 07990 978485 second nature 15
General News from The Parish Pump Remember the Millennium Bug? Just over 20 years ago, there was widespread panic – or at least deep concern – over what might happen when the calendar switched over to the year 2000 on 1st January, and the effect on computers of the so-called Y2K ‘Millennium Bug’. The problem was that computers so long ago were laughably short of memory, and to save space, years in dates had all been recklessly programmed with two figures – for example 80, instead of the full 1980. So, when they reached 2000, no-one knew what would happen. Would the computers think they were back at 00, the beginning of time, or in some other dimension where time had no meaning? Possible consequences ranged from the Second Coming to explosions in nuclear plants and aircraft falling out of the sky. Many experts predicted disaster of one kind or another. Churches were not immune. But in the end more or less nothing happened. Some put this down to the preventative work done by computer technicians – at a price – while others thought it was never going to happen anyway. The cost of countering the Y2K Bug threat cost Britain nearly £400 million. There were problems, but nothing huge – except the sigh of relief. Bridge Over Troubled Water The album Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel was released 50 years ago, on 26th January 1970. It topped the charts in ten countries and sold 25 million records. It was their fifth and final studio album. The song itself, one of their most widely known, was influenced by gospel music, especially the Swan Silvertones’ version of Mary Don’t You Weep, which includes the line “I’ll be your bridge over deep water, if you trust in my name” – a debt acknowledged by Simon. Art Garfunkel initially refused to sing lead on the song, but was eventually persuaded, with Paul Simon transposing the key to suit him. Simon wanted a gospel piano sound, and so hired session musician Larry Knechtel. The song was initially two verses long, but he thought it was too short and asked Knechtel to play a third verse, to which he wrote more lyrics. 16
Despite the many accolades that followed, the duo split up later in 1970, with Garfunkel concentrating on his film career. Simon and Garfunkel are both Jewish, and many of the later songs written by Simon have Christian overtones – this stunning song is no exception. When we found Antarctica It was 200 years ago, on the 27th and 30th of January 1820, that Antarctica was discovered. A Russian expedition sighted the Fimbul Ice Shelf, but not land. Three days later a captain in the British Royal Navy sighted the Trinity Peninsula. Neither of these achievements is totally beyond dispute, mainly because of the difficulty of distinguishing between snow-covered land, islands, icebergs and ice shelves. Russian Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, using English books and charts stemming from his hero James Cook, who first circumnavigated the continent, led a Russian expedition which had considerable success but was largely ignored on his return. He definitely came within 20 miles of the Antarctic mainland and should have been able to see it. Three days later Briton Edward Bransfield, searching waters south of the South Shetlands with William Smith, had the first confirmed sighting of the Antarctic land mass – snow-topped mountains – and in November the same year American Nathaniel Palmer, part of a sealing fleet, also claimed a sighting. Another sealer, John Davis, from Connecticut but born in Surrey, was probably the first to land on the Antarctic, in 1821. The same year, von Bellingshausen came south again and became the second sailor after Cook to circumnavigate the continent. Russia remained unimpressed. Old words, new meanings In the 1990s a stream was a small river, the web was what spiders built in your shed, a net was something you used to catch things, the cloud brought rain, and tweeting was what birds did. Not anymore. In recent years these words from the ‘natural world’ have been so overtaken by technology that now they are used more in technology than in their original, natural state. 17
For example, the word ‘web’ is now used only seven per cent with regard to nature, and the word ‘cloud’ is down to 77 per cent for nature. The research was commissioned by the National Trust, who are concerned that ‘as a nation, we are losing our connection with nature.” As one academic in the study explained: “Language represents what is important to a culture or society. Nature language being replaced or used less frequently suggests nature potentially becoming less important or being replaced by other things.” Your dog and the postman Here’s a New Year Resolution for your dog: don’t eat the postman (or woman). The Royal Mail’s recent request, that dog owners distract their pets by feeding them before the postman comes, follows a surge of dog attacks on postmen and women, averaging out at 47 a week for the past year. In all, nearly 25,000 separate attacks took place, some of them leaving life-changing injuries. As 35 per cent of attacks happen at the front door or in the garden, dog owners are also being asked to keep their pets shut away while the post is being delivered. Diabetes could ‘bankrupt’ the health service Our appetites are killing us. Hospitals are now treating 5,000 type 2 diabetics a day. The head of the NHS, Simon Stevens, blames “our ever-expanding waistlines”, as obesity is the major cause of Type 2 diabetes. More than 1.7 million people were admitted to hospital last year with type 2 diabetes. That cost the NHS an estimated £22million a day. Health campaigners call the trend ‘staggering’, as two in three adults are now overweight or obese. Overall, more than 10 per cent of all NHS drug spending is now devoted to diabetes. The NHS Digital Report shows the overall bill to treat diabetics has reached more than £1billion. Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, warns: ‘The level of diabetes is a national crisis that is blighting millions of people’s lives and could even bankrupt the NHS.” 13million adults are now classified as obese. 18
January 2020 – Letter from St. James the Least of All The Rev Dr Gary Bowness continues his letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’… Happily, the Church of England still retains some singular parish clergy. Take the parish of St. James-the-Least in the county of C....... for example. Here the elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar, Eustace, continues his correspondence to Darren, his nephew, a low-church curate recently ordained… On how to mix town and country – or not The Rectory St James the Least Mr dear Nephew Darren Your idea for our two churches to hold a combined New Year’s Day walk was an admirable one, although I could sense a certain clash of cultures when your party arrived at the starting point with boots, waterproofs and GPS equipment. Our own group, rather anticipating tottering between tea shops, with a little light shopping in between, sported tweed suits, shopping bags and furled umbrellas. Even the two sets of dogs seemed bemused with one another, with your Westies and King Charles spaniels making enough noise to scare all the wildlife in the county, and our Retrievers puzzled why the pheasants were not dropping from the sky. Dear Miss Mill’s miniature poodle, with the painted toenails, will probably need life-long counselling; the furthest she had walked previously was from her bed to beside the dining room table. The electronic navigation equipment brought by members of your group made me think that if only the wise men had had these blessings, they wouldn’t have had to follow anything as unreliable as a star. Although I suppose that instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh, 19
they would then have arrived with an MP3 player, a mobile phone which would have been obsolete before Jesus’ first birthday and a CD of Madonna’s greatest hits. I do concede that our two congregations learned much from one another. Our ladies were most interested to hear about the latest in personal trainers, while yours discovered how to bring a pan of jam to a rolling boil. Your men seemed impressed to hear of squirrel shooting while ours gathered useful tips for caravanning abroad. And poor Miss Mill’s poodle learned that the great outdoors was a parallel and hostile universe. By mid-afternoon, however, the balance of power shifted. When the leader of the walk from your group lost his SatNav, our members felt the need to assert themselves. The gentlemen navigated using wind direction, moss on trees and angles of the sun, while our ladies, with tweed skirts furled somewhat higher than one would have wished, showed yours how to wade through peat bog without complaining. Perhaps town and country really can learn from one another. But if Major Bullock’s wife arrives for Mattins next Sunday sporting the latest gym gear, you will have much to answer for. Your loving uncle, Eustace 20
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Smile Line for January Quick A young husband was in big trouble when he forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife told him, “Tomorrow there better be something in the driveway for me that goes from zero to 200 in two seconds flat”. The next morning the wife found a small package in the driveway. She opened it and found brand-new bathroom scales. 22
The Puzzle Pages January 2019 Crossword (The solution to this crossword puzzle can be found on page 28) Across 1 ‘Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a — began to crow’ (John 18:27) (4) 3 Fetters (Job 33:11) (8) 8 Perform on a musical instrument (1 Samuel 16:23) (4) 9 Paul describes it as ‘the third heaven’ (2 Corinthians 12:2–4) (8) 11 Loyally (Deuteronomy 11:13) (10) 14 Hens? Me? (anag.) (6) 15 Not visible (Matthew 6:6) (6) 17 Predicted site of the final great battle (Revelation 16:16) (10) 20 Jacob’s youngest son (Genesis 35:18) (8) 21 One of Zophar’s eleven sons (1 Chronicles 7:36) (4) 22 For example, London, Paris, Rome (8) 23 United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (1,1,1,1) Down 1 Favourite church activity: Fellowship round a — — — (3,2,3) 2 Divinely bestowed powers or talents (8) 4 Pile together (1 Thessalonians 2:16) (4,2) 5 Commanded to justify (John 8:13) (10) 6 Timothy’s grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) (4) 7 Killed (Psalm 78:34) (4) 10 One of Graham Kendrick’s best-known songs, — — King (3,7) 12 Indecency (Mark 7:22) (8) 13 Unceasing (Jeremiah 15:18) (8) 16 He prophesied ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ (Matthew 24:15) (6) 18 British Board of Film Classification (1,1,1,1) 19 Pans (anag.) (4) 23
January 2019 Sudoku (Solution on page 28) All in the Month of January It was: 80 years ago, on 8th Jan 1940 that food rationing began in Britain (bacon, butter and sugar). 75 years ago, on 2nd Jan 1945 that the British RAF and US Army Air Force bombed the city of Nuremburg, destroying 90% of its medieval centre within one hour. 70 years ago, on 23rd Jan 1950 that the Israeli Knesset declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. 65 years ago, on 25th Jan 1955 that the world’s first atomic clock was unveiled by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK. It measured time by counting the vibrations of cesium-133 atoms. It was accurate to one second every 300 years. 50 years ago, on 22nd Jan 1970 that the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’ went into service on its first regularly scheduled commercial flight, from New York to London. 30 years ago, on 31st Jan 1990 that Russia’s first McDonald’s fast-food restaurant opened in Moscow. It is said that 30,000 hamburgers were sold the first morning. 24
25 years ago, on 3rd Jan 1995 that the World Health Organisation reported that the cumulative total of reported AIDS cases had passed the one million mark, with cases reported in 192 countries. With unreported cases included, the total was estimated to be approximately 4.5 million. 20 years ago, on 31st Jan 2000, British family doctor Harold Shipman was jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients. He is thought to have killed at least 215 patients, making him Britain’s worst-ever serial killer. 10 years ago, on 4th Jan 2010 the Burj Khalifa in Dubai opened. It is the world’s tallest structure, at 2,722 feet (829.8 metres). Also 10 years ago, on 12th Jan 2010 that the Haiti earthquake killed at least 100,000 people, and devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince. High Days and Holy Days in January 6 January - Epiphany On 6th January we celebrate Epiphany - the visit of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus. But who were these Wise Men? No one knows for sure. Matthew calls them ‘Magi’, and that was the name of an ancient caste of a priestly kind from Persia. It wasn’t until the third century that they were called kings - by a church father, Tertullian. Another church father, Origin, assumed there were three - to correspond with the gifts given. Later Christian interpretation came to understand gold as a symbol of wisdom and wealth, incense as a symbol of worship and sacrifice, and myrrh as a symbol of healing - and even embalming. Certainly, Jesus challenged and set aright the way in which the world handled all three of these things. Since the 8th century, the Magi have had the names Balthasar, Caspar and Melchior. 11 January Mary Slessor of Calabar Courage, vision and leadership are found in the most unlikely of places. Mary Slessor was born in December 1848 into a wretchedly poor family. Her father was an alcoholic who lost his job as a shoemaker. Mary was the second of seven children, and in 1859 they moved from Aberdeen into the fetid slums of Dundee. Her father and mother worked in the mills, and Mary joined them there when she turned 11. 25
When Mary’s father and both brothers died of pneumonia, Mary’s mother struggled on to keep Mary and her two sisters alive. By the time Mary was 14 she was doing a 12-hour day as a jute maker. But life was not all drudgery. Mary’s mother was a devout Christian who read the family Bible to her daughters, and also the Missionary Record, a monthly publication from the United Presbyterian Church. The stories of the missionaries captivated Mary. When she heard that David Livingstone, the great missionary explorer, had died, she decided that she would follow in his footsteps. She wanted to devote her life to taking the gospel to Africa. She was 25. In August 1876 the Presbyterians sent her out to Calabar, Nigeria, an area where no European had ever yet set foot. With her red hair and blue eyes, Mary grabbed attention wherever she went, but despite recurring illness and constant danger, Mary settled happily among the tribes. She learned their traditions, quickly becoming fluent in their language, Efik. Soon she won the confidence of their tribal leaders. She taught their children and was soon determined to put an end to some of their barbaric practises, such as the killing of twins (whom they thought were evil). Over the years Mary put an end to many witchcraft practises, and she adopted every twin child she found abandoned. And she talked endlessly about Jesus Christ, the passion of her life. Mary was tough – she made long trips through the jungles and took canoes up remote rivers. When her shoes gave out, she went barefoot. Her great passion was to go to ‘the regions beyond’ with the Gospel. She thrived in places and among people who would have terrified most women in her day. It has been written of her: ‘Practically singlehanded she tamed and transformed three pagan communities in succession. It is a question if the career of any other woman missionary has been marked by so many strange adventures, daring feats, signal providences, and wonderful achievements." (Dr Robert H. Glover, The Progress of World-Wide Missions.) When in 1901 Southern Nigeria became a British Protectorate, Mary was appointed the first ever female Magistrate in the British Empire. She became a skilful diplomatic emissary. She was known for saying: "It is not Mary Slessor, but God and our united prayers that have brought the blessings to Calabar. Christ shall have all the honour and glory for the multitudes saved." 26
When she finally died of fever in January 1915 the native Christian girls and women wept bitterly: “Our mother is dead. Everybody's mother has left us.” Mary Slessor once wrote to a friend who had long prayed for her: "I have always said that I have no idea how or why God has carried me over so many funny and hard places, and made these hordes of people submit to me, or why the Government should have given me the privilege of a Magistrate among them, except in answer to prayer made at home for me. It is all beyond my comprehension.” Some Useful Numbers Holsworthy Benefice Priest-in-Charge: Mother Elizabeth Burke, The Rectory, Bodmin Street, Holsworthy, EX22 6BH elizabethmaburke*icloud.com 01409 255490 or 07990 978485 Primary School 253700 Holsworthy Community College 253430 Library 253514 Health Centre 253692 Sports Hall 254013 Holsworthy Visitor Centre 254185 Brownies (M Galjardt) 254727 Guides (Jane Crocombe) 211319 Scouts (Cathy Withall) 254803 Town Clerk 253312 Memorial Hall 255450 Holsworthy Play Group (Dawn Bewes) 253825 Holsworthy Hospital 253424 Boots the Chemist 255295 Lloyds Pharmacy 253461 Stagecoach South West 01392 42 77 11 National Rail Enquiries 03457 48 49 50 Revd. Richard Freeman (Bradworthy Benefice) 01409 241315 CAB (Citizen’s Advice Bureau) 02444 111 444 (Weekdays 9.30 am – 4.00 pm) Samaritans 116 123 27
January 2020 Crossword Solution January 2020 Sudoku Solution www.holsworthybenefice.org.uk All of our churches are listed on www.achurchnearyou.com Printed by: EASYPRINT (SW) Ltd Unit 1 Red Post Workshops Red Post Bude Cornwall EX23 9NW Email: easy.print*btconnect.com Phone 01288 381700 28
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